County juvenile department faces budget shortfall

County Treasurer Mitzi Baker and Judge Kyle Peeler described their understanding of discussions that took place before this fiscal year’s budget cycle. Much of the conversation focused on the calculation of the labor burden -- the total cost to have employees -- as well as consideration of grant funding.

County Treasurer Mitzi Baker and Judge Kyle Peeler described their understanding of discussions that took place before this fiscal year’s budget cycle. Much of the conversation focused on the calculation of

County Treasurer Mitzi Baker and Judge Kyle Peeler described their understanding of discussions that took place before this fiscal year’s budget cycle. Much of the conversation focused on the calculation of the labor burden -- the total cost to have employees -- as well as consideration of grant funding.

County Treasurer Mitzi Baker and Judge Kyle Peeler described their understanding of discussions that took place before this fiscal year’s budget cycle. Much of the conversation focused on the calculation of

Facing a shortage of money to pay personnel in the Midland County juvenile department, elected officials on Tuesday explained to commissioners the path that led to this point.

County Treasurer Mitzi Baker and Judge Kyle Peeler described their understanding of discussions that took place before this fiscal year’s budget cycle. Much of the conversation focused on the calculation of the labor burden -- the total cost to have employees -- as well as consideration of grant funding.

It was unclear during the meeting how soon money could run out for juvenile department personnel. The total payroll needed for the department is $3.2 million, according to Baker.

For fiscal year 2019 Midland County’s budgeted personnel expenditure total for the juvenile department is $2.4 million. Discussion on Tuesday also referred to $525,000 in grants.

At the state level, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department indicates on its website that allocations for Midland County totaled $977,493 in fiscal year 2018. No disbursements are listed for the first two months of 2018-19.

In the Midland County budget, total general fund spending this year is projected at about $1 million for juvenile probation and $1.6 million for the Culver Juvenile Justice Center.

Those figures were solidified in August, when the Commissioners’ Court voted to give juvenile detention about $250,000 less than it requested. The money is held in contingency pending the outcome of a study through Mel Brown and Associates, according to a previous Reporter-Telegram story.

During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners Scott Ramsey and Robin Donnelly said they hoped to see outcome of the study. They joined their colleagues in voting to table the discussion.

Before that decision, Peeler explained to commissioners a software system produced labor burden numbers that were inaccurate. Peeler also said the department previously described a lack of grant funds through Forest Hanna, chief juvenile probation officer.

“The budget was passed,” said Peeler, who chairs the juvenile board. “It’s not correct. It needs more funding from the county.”

During the discussion, Baker said she wasn’t able to see how much the juvenile department requested in state funding. She also said she communicated with Hanna about his budget, including while preparing a document that included salary but not the labor burden.

“I believed that the juvenile department understood that what I had given them on this spreadsheet was salary only,” Baker said.

Commissioners’ Court met Tuesday instead of Monday in observance of Veterans Day. Also during the meeting, commissioners: